ADDITIONAL US SECURITY FOR HIJAB

Nadia Hassan, a Maryland Muslim, in the USA was singled out for additional airport security check after refusing to take off her hijab, raising fears that the Muslim obligatory dress code would trigger automatic secondary screening for Muslim travellers under newly-introduced airport security measures. Maria complained of being targeted for a full-body search at Washington’s Dulles International Airport when she was catching a plane to Los Angeles. She allegedly was told that because of her hijab they pulled her out under a new policy in effect. When the Muslim woman refused to remove her hijab, an obligatory dress code in Islam, she was put through a full-body pat-down search. “It was very humiliating. It was very uncomfortable,” Hassan said. She said her clothes, luggage, laptop computer and mobile were searched and tested for bomb-making materials. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently announced additional security checks on people coming from or through 14 countries, all Muslim with the exception of Cuba. “I’m an American. I’m not a foreigner. My country is treating me this way?” Hassan lamented.